Find out how popular the last name Zahn is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Zahn.

Zahn, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Zahn surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zahn in America

Zahn is the 5695th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zahn surname appeared 6,086 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Zahn.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zahn to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Zahn

The surname Zahn is of German origin, originating in the early medieval period. It is derived from the Old High German word "zand" or "zan," meaning "tooth" or "tusk." This suggests that the name may have been initially bestowed as a descriptive nickname for someone with prominent teeth or perhaps a profession related to teeth, such as a dentist or ivory carver.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Zahn can be found in the Codex Traditionum Monasterii Sancti Galli, a medieval cartulary from the Abbey of St. Gallen in present-day Switzerland, dating back to the 9th century. The name is also mentioned in various German town and church records from the 13th and 14th centuries, with variations in spelling such as "Zän," "Zan," and "Zahn."

In the 15th century, the name Zahn appeared in the Bützower Häuserbuch, a house book from the town of Bützow in Mecklenburg, Germany. This document recorded the names of property owners and residents within the town. During this time, the surname was also found in other regions of Germany, including Bavaria and Saxony.

One notable figure bearing the surname Zahn was Johann Zahn (1641-1707), a German Protestant minister and polymath known for his works on optics, acoustics, and other scientific subjects. Another individual of historical significance was Johann Karl Wilhelm Zahn (1771-1853), a German theologian and writer who served as a professor at the University of Leipzig.

In the 19th century, the surname Zahn was carried by several prominent individuals, including Gustav Zahn (1800-1876), a German painter and lithographer, and Friedrich Zahn (1869-1950), a German Protestant theologian and New Testament scholar. Additionally, Albert Zahn (1846-1904) was a German architect responsible for designing numerous buildings in Berlin during the Gründerzeit period.

Moving into the 20th century, one of the most well-known individuals with the surname Zahn was Ernst Zahn (1867-1952), a German engineer and industrialist who played a significant role in the development of the automotive industry. He co-founded the Zahn-Werke company, which produced transmissions and other components for vehicles.

These examples highlight the longstanding presence of the surname Zahn within German history and its association with various professions and fields of expertise.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zahn

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Zahn.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Zahn was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Zahn has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Zahn was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Zahn, please contact us.

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